Letters to the Editor

Published 10:00 pm, Monday, February 6, 2006

Game a metaphor for 2000 presidential election I was watching the Super Bowl and I kept thinking of that Yogi Berra quote: "It's like déjà vu all over again." All of a sudden, I said, "Holy mackerel." The Super Bowl was like a metaphor for the 2000 presidential election.

You remember that election, folks, where what happened at the polling booths was just like what happened at the Super Bowl, which was that both of those things were decided by a separate group who wore robes and uniforms.

Martin LitwakOlympia

COST OF WAR

'Billions more for schools' would sound much better Friday morning's headline was a classic: "Billions more for wars" (note the plural). Being W's America and all, this is probably supposed to be a point of pride. But wouldn't "Billions more for education" or "Billions more for health care" actually be something for which we could be proud?

Heidi Reiling ArvishSeattle

Those least able to pay get the bill for U.S. wars The Bush administration recently announced that it will ask for another $70 billion for the Iraq invasion. Total cost of both the Iraq and Afghanistan invasions for 2006 is $120 billion. The total cost of both Iraq and Afghanistan so far is $440 billion.

The House just voted to make $39.5 billion in cuts to Medicaid, Social Security for the disabled, child-care programs and student loans. How long will Americans tolerate this fraudulent and illegal invasion of Iraq to be paid for by those who can least afford to pay? How many more of our precious young people will die, be mutilated and disfigured because of administration suspect claims about Iraq? What additional constitutional freedoms must Americans forfeit in the endless "war against terror"?

Please urge U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen to support House Resolution 375, which, if passed, will require the administration to "transmit all information relating to communication with officials of the United Kingdom between Jan. 1, 2002, and Oct. 16, 2002, relating to the policy of the United States with respect to Iraq."

H.R. 375 gives the president the opportunity to clear his name and demonstrate that the invasion of Iraq was justified.

Administration knows a good sound bite The Bush administration has once again framed the public, casting the illegal domestic spying debate in terms of "security versus privacy." Utter nonsense, but a simple and snappy sound bite for the public and the media to latch onto.

We all know that Bush can legally accomplish what needs doing using the simple and quick FISA court oversight system mandated by Congress. Instead, he chooses to break the law -- not for the purpose of providing so-called security, but rather to solidify his power by claiming absolute authority to do as he pleases. I urge the media to desist from adopting Bush's specious framing, remembering that the constitutional protections of all of us are at stake in these perilous times.

Practice uses more resources than it saves Seattle, one of the most secular cities in the non-communist world, imposes its beliefs with faith-based fanaticism. Seattle's holy war against smoking somewhat resembles jihad or inquisition (smoking is sin; smokers are evildoers who must be banished or punished unless they're in tribal casinos), but anti-smoking crusaders used the weapons of science and democracy.

Seattle's recycling crusade, however, looks like theocratic coercion or an 11th commandment, an edict without scientific, economic or democratic support. Ten years ago The New York Times Magazine showed that recycling is nonsense. Last week James Thayer did the math for Seattle's new faith-based recycling program, and it doesn't add up.

Recycling in Seattle and elsewhere is a secular sacrament that uses up more resources than it saves. It's a boondoggle designed to increase the power of bureaucrats and of trash collectors, who issue tickets to evildoers, while trashing the planet instead of saving it.

Cody KernsSeattle

FREEDOM OF PRESS

Where's tolerance for freedom of religion? On aljazeera.net, a spokesman for our State Department, Kurtis Cooper, is quoted as saying: "We fully recognize and respect freedom of the press and expression, but it must be coupled with press responsibility. Inciting religious or ethnic hatred in this manner is not acceptable."

So our official response is that the French and the Danes "were asking for it"? Where is the tolerance for freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the separation of church and state? And by the way, Mr. State Department, the religious or ethnic hatred we have all witnessed was not "incited" by the cartoons, rather it was "exposed" by them. That's a big difference!

How dare you lay the blame for these exhibitions of hatred and intolerance on the press. This has nothing to do with the Muslim religion. Muslims are forbidden from portraying Muhammed in order to avoid idolatry. What then, would you call it when Muslims get violently upset over non-Muslims depicting Muhammed? I would call such intolerance of the views and rights of others blatant idolatry.

Utter nonsense is not worthy of our respect In response to the Muslim outrage over cartoons of Muhammed, a Muslim friend said, "People should respect each other's religion."

Sounds nice, but on second thought one wonders; Really? Why?

Why should we respect Jerry Falwell's rants when he tells us what God wants? As if anyone knows. Falwell said God created Hurricane Katrina in response to the immorality of the New Orleans people. Such outlandish baloney.

Why respect the absurdities from the Bible thumpers who believe the Bible, written by fallible, opinionated, power-seeking men, is the word of God?

Why respect the Muslims who are shocked when they see a picture of Muhammed?

Why respect those who pray publicly -- as if they really believe God is listening? If he is listening, why does he never answer?

Examples of such nonsense are multitudinous in our "free speech" society.

People with such absurd "faiths" are borderline nuts. They deserve not to be attended, but to be lampooned. It speaks well for our civil rights that they are still running around free.

'Safe rooms' should be adopted in the United States One of the first things the Bush administration did upon taking office was to relax mine safety regulations. The inevitable result was dead miners. Every mine in Canada has a "safe room" where miners can hole up while awaiting rescue.

No U.S. mine has a safe room. It would affect the bottom line. Now they want still more lenience. When will they (and the voters) ever learn? Are the lives of working people in this country simply not worth it?

Rhetoric and threats should be disregarded I have been closely watching -- with utter astonishment -- your process of determining the fate of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. I keep hearing politicians and highway officials telling Seattleites that a reduced-capacity surface boulevard absolutely will not work; it will be utter chaos. Traffic models say so. But guess what? Traffic models are not fact -- far from it. Just ask the residents of Boston who paid $16 billion for the same level of congestion they had before. (And the original price tag for that project? You guessed it: $4 billion.)

Ask local officials to give you one example of a case where a planned highway capacity reduction resulted in "gridlock." I guarantee you they will not be able to do it, because it has never happened. On the other hand, there are several examples of cases where it has worked, including Portland and San Francisco. So, don't let rhetoric and unfounded threats from those who stand to gain sway you into something you cannot afford -- and into making the same mistake you made 50 years ago.

Guild attorney makes a very curious remark I just read your article where Chris Vick, attorney for the King County Police Officers Guild, said that deputies don't want a trio of lawyers overseeing the system because "they are the kinds of people who represent criminals."

Given that Vick is an attorney, should we assume the King County Police Officers Guild is a group of criminals? Based on the P-I's recent reports, it certainly appears that way.